Electric sign.



R. T. SAVAGE.

ELECTRIC SIGN.

APPLICATION FILED M1319. 1913.

Patented June 2, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

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R. T. SAVAGE.

ELECTRIC SIGN.

APPLIGATION FILED APR. 19, 1913.

gm Patented June 2, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

llilldif T. SAVGE, 0F ASBURY Ptltl, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO SAVAGE NOVELTY C0., NC., il. CRPORATION F NEW YORK.

ELECTRC SGN.

tric Signs, of which the following is a specication.

rlhe present invention relates generally to signs, and has for its object means whereby a sign may be produced from separable units, which may be readily assembled or changed as conditions require.

The invention consists of the features set forth in the claims, a preferred embodiment of which is disclosed in the accompanying drawings and description.

ln the said drawings: Figure 1-is a front elevation ot a sign embodying the invention, with parts broken away and in section. Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof, also partly broken away. Fig. 3 is an enlarged plan view of a portion ot the sign with parts broken away and in section. Fig. 4g is a transverse sectional view on the line 4 4 of Fig. G. Fig. 5 is a detail sectional view on the line 55 of Fig. 3. Fig. 6 is a longitudinal sectional view on the line 6-6 ot Fig. 4.

Similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several views.

10 is a supporting member, here shown as a sheet metal channel member, having the upstanding longitudinal flanges 11 inclined' slightly inwardly. Preferably two such channel members are used, one within the other, thereby making the supporting member extensible by sliding one upon the other.

A plurality ot separable units 12 ot insulating material are removably engaged upon the supporting member. ln the preferred embodiment here disclosed each unit consists ot a lower member 13 slidingly engaged within the supporting member, and an upper member 14 having overhan ging portions l5 extending downwardly overP the 'flanges l1 and spaed a distance from the lower member 13 so as to form an upright groove into which the flange l1 may extend.

An electric circuit may be formed by mounting any number of the unitsupon the supporting member and by bringing them Specification of Letters Patent.

.Application filed April 19, 1913.

Patented J une 2 1914;.. serial no. 762,275.

into endwise or abutting engagement so that interengaging terminals on adjacent units will establish connection between the current conducting members of the several units. .ln the torni here shown each unitis provided with two longitudinally extending current conducting members 16 and 17 which form the two legs of a partial electric circuit. A lamp socket 18 is inserted in multiple between the two legs of this circuit by means of suitable current conducting members, here taking the form of a transverse member 19 extending from the leg 17 to a central contact member, shown in the form of a screw 9.0. rlhis transverse member 19 issuitably insulated from the leg 16 by means of the insulating material 21 and the head 22 of the screw is insulated from the flanges 23`of the socket yby means of insulating material 24. The current conducting members 16 and 17 are so arranged that they may be readily interengaged with similar `current conducting members of adjacent units. Preferably terminals are formed out of the same piece of metal as the current conducb ing members, the said members having at one end a tongue 25 outside the unit. while at the other end the current conducting members are bent backwardly upon themselves and then forwardly to form a socket or lips Q6 into which the tongues 25 may slide. llt is apparent that'with the dove-tail construction of the supporting member 10 the units can be slid endwise in this member and the said units when brought into sliding engagement with said member and into abutting engagement with each other may also have their terminals brought into sliding engagement with each other by the means above described. This forms a structure which may be quickly assembled and readily dismantled or changed, and at the same time produccsa unitary whole oit' pleasing appearance.

The current conducting members, as shown, are conveniently housed in suitable grooves formed between the upper and lower members 13 and 11i and are preferably secured to the lower members i3, the leg 16 being secured by means of the screw 20, while the leg 17 is secured by means ot the screw 27. rlhe socket 18 is likewise held in position on the lower member 13 by means of the screw 20, as previously explained. The upper member 14 is formed with an opening 28 into which the socket 18 extends, so that a lamp Q9 may be inserted after the two members of the unit have been securedtogether. Surrounding the opening 28 is a raised portion 30. This raised portion acts as a guide for a suitable sign carrying device or reflector 31, the said raised portion 30 being slightly shorter in one direction than the sign carrying element, as indicated at 32, so as to permit a cross bar 33 to extend across the front of the raised portion 30 inside the sign carrying element 31, this cross'bar 33 affording a support for the slidingly engaged face plate 34 mounted in the guides of the sign carrying element, so that when said sign carrying element is removed from the unit the said face plate will be carried with it.

The sign carrying element may be secured in position by any suitable means, but preferably I have provided spring clips 36 which are secured at one end to the receptacle and which engage with their free ends in the slots 37 of the sign carrying device. In the preferredi embodiment I employ a screw 38 both for attaching the spring clip 36 to the receptacle and for. securing the upper and lower members 13 and 14 together, said screw 38 extending through both members and having a removable nut 39 in its other end in the countersink 40 of the lower member. It may be 4advantageous at times to provide different spacing between the units,rfor instance when having a sign composed of several words. In that event I may employ7 a spacing member 41,

such as is indicated in Fig. 6. This mem-I ber is constructed like the receptacles preyiously described, having the same longitudinally extending current conducting members and being formed in two parts, but of course does not have a cross-current conducting member like 19 since these spacing membersfmerely. serve to maintain the continuity of the circuit when interposed between adjacent units. In addition to the foregoing I may employ an end unit, such as is indicated at 42, for the reception of the feed wires 43, such end unit being provided with suitable binding posts 44 which are electrically connected to the current conducting members 16 and 17 adapted to be interengaged with the current conducting members of the next adjacent unit.

What is claimed, is:

1. In a sign, a supporting member having longitudinally extending upstanding flanges, a plurality of receptacles each composed of an upper and a lower member, said upper member overhanging said lower member to form an upright groove between the two members to permit the receptacle to be slidingly engaged oaths-supportingv member, two longitudinally extending cilr-r rent conducting members housed between the upper and lower members of each-receptacle, slidingly interengaged terminals in circuit with the current conducting members of adjacent receptacles, a lamp socket and suitable electrical connections in each receptacle for interposing the-said lamp soci-:et in the electric circuit formed by the ,current conducting members.

2. In a sign, a supporting member having longitudinally extending upstanding guides, a receptacle composed of two members, one a lower member contained within the supporting member and the other an upper member having overhanging p0rtions projecting downwardly over the upstanding guides of the supporting member, and means for securing the upper and lower members together.

3. A sign structure comprising a'supporting member, a plura-lity of units slidingly engaged on said supporting member, a current conductingmember in each unit formed at one end into a tongue projecting'beyond the unit, and at the other end bent backward upon itself and then forwardly to form receiving lips ywithin the unit for the tongue on the corresponding member of the adjacent unit whereby the terminals of adjacent units are slidingly interengaged when the units are assembled 4. A receptacle composed of an upper and a lower member, an upstanding socket carried by the lower member, the said upper member being provided with an opening through .which the socket extends, a raised portion on the'upper member surrounding the opening aforesaid, a sign car rying device seated around said raised portion for which the latter acts as a guide, and means for securing the sign carrying device to the receptacle.

5. In a sign, a receptacle composed of an upper and a lower member, a sign carrying device on the upper member,|a spring clip on the upper member engaging the sign carrying device to hold the same, and a `common fastening means for securing the spring clip to the upper member and for securing the upper and lower members together.

6. In a sign, a supporting member having longitudinally extending upstanding flanges inwardly inclineda receptacle having a lower member adapted to be slidingly engaged within said supporting member, and an upper member adapted to be slidingly engaged on the outer side of said supporting member, and means for securing the upper and lower members together.

7. In a device of the class described, the combinationv of a socket piece having contact Aelements in its socket, connectors on Loooeo Signed at New York in the eoumty of New York and. State of New York this 12th day of April A. D. 1913.

RAY Witnesses:

LAURA E; SMITH, TERESA V. LYNCH.

r. @MIAGE 

